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5 Things To Consider If You Want To Start A Business

If you’re thinking about starting a business you need to have a clear plan and strategy on how you will achieve your objectives. All too often new entrepreneurs jump in head first without any real plan on what they are going to sell, how they will sell it and who they will sell it to. Here are the 5 basic steps to starting a business in 2016.

1. Get Online

First, if you’re starting a business, you need to get that business on the internet. The growth in the number of people buying online is growing each year. Over 3 billion people has access to the internet and more people are coming online everyday. These are all potential customers. When your business is online you can be selling your products and services 24/7, 365 days a year.

2. Get Some Start Up Capital

Although the cost of starting a business in 2016 on the internet is considerably lower than starting a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ business, you do still need some money upfront to start an online business. The main reason that most businesses fail is because of the lack of capital. Have a plan in place to allow for financial resources whether it’s from sales, external investors or your own personal funds.

3. Establish Your Unique Selling Proposition

What will make your business unique? The internet is big marketplace and when starting a business in 2016 you need to establish an unique selling proposition (USP) for your product or service. Why should people buy from you, rather than somebody else? If you don’t know, how can you expect your potential customer to know?

4. Know Your Ideal Customer

No business can sell everything to everyone. You need to be clear on who your ideal customer is so that you can create your marketing messages to appeal directly to them. What are their needs, wants, worries, problems or desires? How can your products or services help them?

5. Implement A Proven Business Model

Use a proven business model that will work in your market. If you don’t have one, look at your competitors and see what they are doing. Get a business mentor who can show you how to build your business and move a prospect into a customer. Very often you can learn a lot from people who have been before you in your chosen industry. They can help you to avoid the pitfalls and make your journey to success easier and quicker.